* !888- She was born in New Zealand * 1903-Studied at Queen’s College and became a staff member of the College Magazine * 1908-Studied typing and book keeping at Wellington Technical College * 1909- Married George Brown * 1911- Some of her satirical sketches of German characters were publishes In a German Pension * 1914- Publishes stories in Rhythm and The Blue Review * 1916- Wrote one of her most famous writings, Prelude * 1917- Was diagnosed with Tuberculosis * 1918- Divorced her first husband and then married John Murray * 1920- Published Bliss * 1922- Wrote Garden Party 1923- Died in France from Tuberculosis. Her last words were: “I love the rain. I want the feeling of it on my face.”
Poems:
Analysis:
A Few Rules for Beginners Babies must not eat the coal
And they must not make grimaces,
Nor in party dresses roll
And must never black their faces.
They must learn that pointing's rude,
They must sit quite still at table,
And must always eat the food
Put before them--if they're able.
If they fall, they must not cry,
Though it's known how painful this is;
No--there's always Mother by
Who will comfort them with kisses
* I think this poem shows what we have to learn as we grow up. It shows that we must behave ourselves and have good manners. We must be strong even though we hurt, and there are people in our life that will help us through it.
* The rhyme scheme for this poem is: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF * Theme: What we first learn.
* Poetic devices: Rhyming
Fairy Tale Now this is the story of Olaf
Who ages and ages ago
Lived right on the top of a mountain,
A mountain all covered with snow.
And he was quite pretty and tiny
With beautiful curling fair hair
And small hands like delicate flowers--
Cheeks kissed by the cold mountain air.
He lived in a hut made of pinewood
Just one little room and a door
A table, a chair, and a bedstead
And animal skins on the floor.
Now Olaf was partly fairy
And so never wanted to eat;
He thought dewdrops and raindrops were plenty
And snowflakes and all perfumes sweet.
In the daytime when sweeping and dusting
And cleaning were quite at an end,
He would sit very still on the doorstep
And dream--O, that he had a friend!
Somebody to come when he called them,
Somebody to catch by the hand,
Somebody to sleep with at night time,
Somebody who'd quite understand.
One night in the middle of Winter
He lay wide awake on his bed,
Outside there was fury of tempest
And calling of wolves to be fed--
Thin wolves, grey and silent as shadows;
And Olaf was frightened to death.
He had peeped through a crack in the doorpost,
He had seen the white smoke of their breath.
But suddenly over the storm wind
He heard a small voice pleadingly
Cry, "I am a snow fairy, Olaf,
Unfasten the window for me."
So he did, and there flew through the opening
The daintiest, prettiest sprite
Her face and her dress and her stockings,
Her hands and her curls were all white.
And she said, "O you poor little stranger
Before I am melted, you know,
I have brought you a valuable present,
A little brown fiddle and bow.
So now you can never be lonely,
With a fiddle, you see, for a friend,
But all through the Summer and Winter
Play beautiful songs without end."
And then,--O she melted like water,
But Olaf was happy at last;
The fiddle he tucked in his shoulder,
He held his small bow very fast.
So perhaps on the quietest of evenings
If you listen, you may hear him soon,
The child who is playing the fiddle
Away up in the cold, lonely moon.
* I think this poem is excellent. It shows that if you wish for something deeply and do good things, you might get what you were asking for. In this poem, the Olaf was quite lonely and wanted and friend. Then one day a fairy is in trouble, so he helps her. In return she gives him a friend, a fiddle and bow.
* The rhyme scheme for this poem is: ABCB, DEFE, GHIH, JKLK, MNON, PQRQ, STUT, VWXW, YZAAZ, BBCCDDCC, EEAFFA, GGHHIIHH, JJKKLLKK, MMNNOONN
* Theme: Wanting a friend
* Poetic devices: Rhyming
Autumn Song Now's the time when children's noses
All become as red as roses
And the colour of their faces
Makes me think of orchard places
Where the juicy apples grow,
And tomatoes in a row.
And to-day the hardened sinner
Never could be late for dinner,
But will jump up to the table
Just as soon as he is able,
Ask for three times hot roast mutton--
Oh! the shocking little glutton.
Come then, find your ball and racket,
Pop into your winter jacket,
With the lovely bear-skin lining.
While the sun is brightly shining,
Let us run and play together
And just love the autumn weather.
* I enjoyed reading this poem. It is very fluent and descriptive. Its’ descriptive of what happens in autumn and what everything looks like and how everyone feels. * The rhyme scheme for this poem is: AABBCC, DDEEFF, GGHHII
* 1903- Studied at Queen’s College and became a staff member of the College Magazine
* 1908- Studied typing and book keeping at Wellington Technical College
* 1909- Married George Brown
* 1911- Some of her satirical sketches of German characters were publishes In a German Pension
* 1914- Publishes stories in Rhythm and The Blue Review
* 1916- Wrote one of her most famous writings, Prelude
* 1917- Was diagnosed with Tuberculosis
* 1918- Divorced her first husband and then married John Murray
* 1920- Published Bliss
* 1922- Wrote Garden Party
1923- Died in France from Tuberculosis. Her last words were: “I love the rain. I want the feeling of it on my face.”
Babies must not eat the coal
And they must not make grimaces,
Nor in party dresses roll
And must never black their faces.
They must learn that pointing's rude,
They must sit quite still at table,
And must always eat the food
Put before them--if they're able.
If they fall, they must not cry,
Though it's known how painful this is;
No--there's always Mother by
Who will comfort them with kisses
* The rhyme scheme for this poem is:
ABAB, CDCD, EFEF
* Theme: What we first learn.
* Poetic devices: Rhyming
Now this is the story of Olaf
Who ages and ages ago
Lived right on the top of a mountain,
A mountain all covered with snow.
And he was quite pretty and tiny
With beautiful curling fair hair
And small hands like delicate flowers--
Cheeks kissed by the cold mountain air.
He lived in a hut made of pinewood
Just one little room and a door
A table, a chair, and a bedstead
And animal skins on the floor.
Now Olaf was partly fairy
And so never wanted to eat;
He thought dewdrops and raindrops were plenty
And snowflakes and all perfumes sweet.
In the daytime when sweeping and dusting
And cleaning were quite at an end,
He would sit very still on the doorstep
And dream--O, that he had a friend!
Somebody to come when he called them,
Somebody to catch by the hand,
Somebody to sleep with at night time,
Somebody who'd quite understand.
One night in the middle of Winter
He lay wide awake on his bed,
Outside there was fury of tempest
And calling of wolves to be fed--
Thin wolves, grey and silent as shadows;
And Olaf was frightened to death.
He had peeped through a crack in the doorpost,
He had seen the white smoke of their breath.
But suddenly over the storm wind
He heard a small voice pleadingly
Cry, "I am a snow fairy, Olaf,
Unfasten the window for me."
So he did, and there flew through the opening
The daintiest, prettiest sprite
Her face and her dress and her stockings,
Her hands and her curls were all white.
And she said, "O you poor little stranger
Before I am melted, you know,
I have brought you a valuable present,
A little brown fiddle and bow.
So now you can never be lonely,
With a fiddle, you see, for a friend,
But all through the Summer and Winter
Play beautiful songs without end."
And then,--O she melted like water,
But Olaf was happy at last;
The fiddle he tucked in his shoulder,
He held his small bow very fast.
So perhaps on the quietest of evenings
If you listen, you may hear him soon,
The child who is playing the fiddle
Away up in the cold, lonely moon.
* The rhyme scheme for this poem is:
ABCB, DEFE, GHIH, JKLK, MNON, PQRQ, STUT, VWXW, YZAAZ, BBCCDDCC, EEAFFA, GGHHIIHH, JJKKLLKK, MMNNOONN
* Theme: Wanting a friend
* Poetic devices: Rhyming
Now's the time when children's noses
All become as red as roses
And the colour of their faces
Makes me think of orchard places
Where the juicy apples grow,
And tomatoes in a row.
And to-day the hardened sinner
Never could be late for dinner,
But will jump up to the table
Just as soon as he is able,
Ask for three times hot roast mutton--
Oh! the shocking little glutton.
Come then, find your ball and racket,
Pop into your winter jacket,
With the lovely bear-skin lining.
While the sun is brightly shining,
Let us run and play together
And just love the autumn weather.
* The rhyme scheme for this poem is:
AABBCC, DDEEFF, GGHHII
* Theme: Autumn
* Poetic devices: Rhyming and Metaphor